Writing a Dissertation: General Rules to Be Observed

A dissertation is a lengthy piece of academic writing that aims to prove a hypothesis. This paper must be relevant and substantial, as well as introduce some original ideas. In short, a good dissertation must teach the readers something new.

You need to understand that one must employ critical thinking when working on a dissertation. Every piece of data you include in the paper must be verified, and every argument must be supported by scientific evidence. You need to analyze the issues you discuss in the dissertation and assess them from different points of view.

As a dissertation is a formal document, you will need to follow some rules when writing it. They are:

Each sentence of the paper must have a purpose.

A dissertation is a huge piece of writing, and you need to consider this when choosing a topic. You must pick one that has enough information behind it for you to fill several dozens of pages with. Filler content is unacceptable in dissertations.

All your arguments must be logical and defendable.

If you argue something, you must provide some scientific evidence to prove your point. You need to research every matter in-depth, because you may need the additional knowledge during your defense.

Be careful when using professional terms.

You will definitely need to use quite a few terms in a dissertation. Try not to get carried away, because overabundance of them will make the paper difficult to read.
Every time you introduce a new term, you need to provide its definition. It must be written in clear language that even non-professionals will be able to understand.
Be sure you stick to this definition and use the term correctly throughout the whole paper.

Avoid using adverbs or informal and judgmental phrases.

All these things make your dissertation look less professional. This is a highly formal piece of academic writing, and you need to remember that at all times. You should also avoid the extremes; like “perfect,” “ideal solution,” etc. There is nothing absolute and truly perfect. Using words like these makes you seem too arrogant or fatalistic.

Use the right tense and voice.

Dissertations should be written in active voice and present tense. In some cases, you may need to use different constructions, but you should reduce the number of these “slips” to a minimum.

Focus on the results.

People don’t need to know how many hours you’ve spent researching the question before you managed to find an answer. You shouldn’t include this kind of information in the dissertation unless it actually matters for your results.

Do not praise or criticize yourself in the paper.

Your tone must be formal and detached. This means that there should be no phrases like “this groundbreaking technique.” Let the readers make their own conclusions about the value of your tools and discoveries.

Explain your motivation.

Your dissertation must not only state the problem that you are going to research, it should explain why exactly this particular problem is important and how solving it will affect the field as a whole.

Do not allow any political or commercial influence.

Your dissertation must be objective. It doesn’t matter whether political, religious, or any other organizations support your point of view. The only thing that matters is that you can prove every piece of information you include in the paper.

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A dissertation must be well-written.

It doesn’t matter whether you possess any literary talent or not; your writing must be good for the dissertation. There are many guidebooks, and even specialized classes, for people who struggle with mastering the art of academic writing. You will need to use these resources in order to create a spotless piece of work.
Remember that the quality of your content will not compensate for poor grammar, spelling, and writing style.